A new report completed by Bowen National Research shows that Moore County faces a significant housing inventory gap of 7,724 units (1,916 rental units and 5,808 for-sale units) between 2024 and 2029. 

The report was commissioned by the Mid Carolina Regional Association of REALTORS®

(MCRAR), Moore County Economic Development Partnership (MCEDP) and the Moore County Chamber of Commerce (MCC) as part of a 21-county Housing Needs Assessment of the

Carolina Core Region in North Carolina.

“The reports prepared by Bowen National Research represent a comprehensive analysis of data

and information that can be used to inform policy decisions and solutions, including several

actionable recommendations. We were pleased to spearhead this joint effort to make this

information available to our community,” said Sandra Barnhardt, MCRAR CEO, in a press release.

Key findings from the Moore County report include:

• The number of households in Moore County is projected to increase by 4.2% (1,824 households) between 2023 and 2028, making Moore County the third fastest growing county in the Carolina Core region.
• The median list price for a home in Moore County was $495,000 in 2024, the second highest median list price among the 21 counties in the Carolina Core.
• Moore County has an overall for-sale availability rate of 0.9%, well below the 2% to 3% range of a healthy market.
• The vacancy rate for multifamily rental units is 4.6% in Moore County, within the healthy market range of 4% to 6%, but up to 22 households are on waitlists that are up to 36 months long.

“Our employers continue to tell us they have difficulty recruiting the employees they need due to

a limited supply of housing in Moore County their workforce can afford. This is an important

issue for our community to address if we want our businesses to be successful and to remain

competitive,” said MCEDP President Natalie Hawkins in a press release.

“Addressing Moore County’s housing supply gap is a critical investment in our county’s future. I

look forward to exploring strategies with community leaders and partners to address the housing

gap challenge,” said MCC President & CEO Linda Parsons in a press release.

Another statewide report commissioned by the NC Chamber Foundation, North Carolina Home

Builders Association, and NC REALTORS® indicated if the housing gap were addressed it could generate $489 billion in economic activity and nearly 2.2 million jobs.

Click here to view the full Moore County report.